Overall, Part One (1) crime, which includes Homicide, Rape, Robbery, Aggravated Assault, Burglary, Theft, Auto Theft and Arson declined by 8.8%. This is the largest decrease in over a decade and is encouraging progress towards the BPD goal of a ten percent reduction. BPD has again established a goal of reducing crime by 10 percent in 2011.

Looking at the categories of violent crime, which include Homicide, Rape, Robbery and Aggravated Assault, 2010 showed a 13% decrease. While Berkeley has historically had a significant number of robberies, the number of robberies in 2010 dropped 18% to a five year low. Property crime which is comprised of Burglary, Theft, Auto Theft, and Arson showed an 8% decrease in 2010. This statistic was led by decreases in theft (down 9%) and auto theft (down 18%), also five year lows. Two crime categories did show increases, aggravated assault increased by 2% and burglary rose 1%.

BPD is pleased with the overall downward trend in crime in Berkeley. Members of BPD believe that coordinated, focused, team approaches contribute to decreases in crime. BPD will continue to strive to be a successful, respectful and effective police organization while working in increasingly challenging financial times. We will work with our partners in the community to prevent and reduce crime while developing creative means to achieve it within our budget.